Union Home Ministry notifies 10 coastal police stations

The Union Home Ministry has notified official gazette notification for establishing 10 coastal police stations located along India’s coastline in 9 States and 4 UTs.

These police stations have been empowered to register and investigate crimes committed within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Their establishment will end the ambiguity over territorial jurisdiction in the wake of Italian marines case.

The extension of jurisdictional limits will allow local police to effectively deal with cases of terrorism and smuggling and further help guarding 7516-km long coastline of India.

Background

India has a 7,517-km coastline and has 12 major ports and 187 minor or intermediate ports. India’s territorial waters end at 12 nautical miles while the EEZ stretches to 200 nautical miles from the coast.

Legal Terminology

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): It includes the contiguous zone, stretching to 200 nautical miles from the coast.

Continental shelf: It is the seabed up to 350 nautical miles from the coastal baseline, beyond the EEZ were countries also have rights. But such areas are not part of their EEZ.

However, the legal definition of the continental shelf does not directly correspond to the geological meaning of the term. It also includes the continental rise and slope, and the entire seabed within the EEZ.